Equine Support

An increasing body of evidence supports the inclusion of animals to support clinical interventions. Horses in particular are social animals, live in herds and have their own unique position in the herd, creating a felt sense of safety. Horses rely on social cues and non-verbal communication to make decisions. Communication happens clearly through body position, nostrils, mouth, ears, generally how they hold their body. Herd dynamics shift in the herd, however, clashes are minimised because herd members read each other’s cues and make choices on how to respond. Horses and humans have a predator-prey relationship and as such, horses have evolved to quickly identify any incongruence in a human-horse interaction where what is happening on the outside does not match what is happening on the inside of the person (Wilson, Buultjens, Monfries and Karimi, 2017). Therefore, to build a relationship with a horse, clients will need to gain the horse’s trust by being emotionally regulated and authentic.

The inclusion of horses and experiments, creates an experiential opportunity for increased regulation, social skills, reflection on thoughts, feelings and behaviours, insight into clients own behaviours through observations of the horses and then applying what they have learnt to other elements and relationships in their lives.